Start your engines folks. Tambelini is looking to set a professional sports frachise record with 4 straight number 1 picks. Its the only logical explanation for keeping Khabby around.

Pick your slogan here:

"Flail on for MacKinnon"

"Losing On for MacKinnon"

"Sinking for MacKinnon"

"We’re back for Mac"

"Disgracin’ for Nathan"

"Not winnin for MacKinnon"

"Screw Winnin’ get MacKinnon!"

Bringing in Khabi was one of the first big moves of Tambo's regime, and i think because of this he can't admit that it was also one of his biggest mistakes.

Did anyone ever stop and think that ST is just saying this in order to be classy and not throw another veteran player under the bus? just because he says this in april doesn't mean he won't be actively looking for an upgrade or that he's contemplating an extension. let's not call this a mistake before anything has actually happened

There's less than 5 goalies in the league under 28 who are definitively better than DD, so I feel like it makes sense to go into next year counting on him next year for 55 plus games and to be an at least top 20 in the league.

Habby seems like he at least can be an average backup for one more year. The signing was horrible, but we have no cap issues next year so let's just live through this last year like a loveless couple with one more year before the kid graduates. I also think he could be a valuable mentor for Yakupov and that's worth something.

Stoked about the inveitable 2-year contract extension he receives.

Just because ST says something doesn't mean he really believes it, right?

3-33-6? LOL wow, I'd pay him to play against me.

EDIT:Well IDK if Tambi actually, truly feels that way, he just may not be telling the media about his true feelings on him.

Right. I knew that. Maybe Tambo just doesn't want to admit he's wrong. This was his big signing, and doing anything but letting Khabi play out his contract is admitting that was a mistake. Of course, everyone already knows it's a mistake, but it could be just pride. In the old boy's club that is being a GM in the NHL, pride plays way too much of a factor.

Just saw this. If two people are thinking the same thing, that must make it true, right? Kind of like how Tambo and Renney think Khabibulin can still play goal. Oh.. wait.

This is among the things that irritates me about Tambellini and Renney - the handling of Khabibulin and Dubynk.

They must really take the fan base for a bunch of idiots to say things like that and I wish someone would challenge them.

Even if you are not a stats guy, Khabibulin's post Christmas numbers are abysmal. Tambellini and Renney should be telling him that those numbers tell me your not up to the job and he ought to be thinking about post hockey careers.

Is it farfetched to suggest that Renney didn't start playing DD until he was forced to start coaching for his job?

If I were Tambellini I might have laughed at Khabby for saying that and then I would offer him a job as goalie coach. He clearly has been good for Dubnyk but it's time for him to move along. Are there any problems with no longer having him as a player and having him as a coach salary cap wise?

An NHL Manager upselling an overaged, useless vet? That never happens.

Tambellini is just posturing, saving face for the terrible signing that Khabibulin was. I don't think we need to read to deep into what he says. After all, he also said we'd be a playoff team this year.

hmmmmm....thought the coach handled that part of process of telling the goalies who has the reins if they've got the chops?

Serously, who better to mentor Nail than the Bulin Wall? :-)

I'm with you Jonathan, remember, Khabby still has to get through a summer in Phoenix driving that hot car! ANything could happen!

Can a GM actually say a guy wont be back? It's pretty obvious how bad KH has been. Management isn't as clueless as we'd like to think.

I think we are blowing this out of proportion.

I have heard enough chitchat on here to make the ladies down at the salon sea sick.

Kevin Lowe and Steve Tambellini have run this team into the ground and they don't like to answer questions about there mistakes or even own up to them. This tells me it is up to the fans to get the owner to clean house immediately.

If the owner does not listen to reason then it is time for me to take my business to shoppers drug mart. Like any other business if you slap your customers in the face and then tell him he should like it. There's a good chance your business wont last long. Just my thoughts

I don't care what the numbers say. 0.901 is below average, but save percentage doesn't win hockey games. 22-53-11 looks bad, but is it a losing record? Can't tell. Not enough information. Is Khabi worth $3.75M a year? Maybe. Maybe not. Too early to say.

The only number that matters? 35. That's Nik's jersey number. Nik's jersey hangs in the locker room and he's a great leader for the young kids on the team. He's got a lot of poise and that's what matters. Poise. Making saves. Winning games. Clutch. Poise. He's our MVP. Dubnyk hasn't proved anything yet, but I'm happy with his progress and his poise. But Nik also has a lot of poise. Poise.

If I were looking to trade Khabibulin this summer, what Tambellini said would be EXACTLY what I would say.

tragic. "So, by him saying that to me, he’s still feeling the compete and the challenge." Tambo's logic is so bizarre. This is like his line about Yzerman and Schultz. Who cares if he is 'feeling' it. The guy can't stop a beach ball anymore. What a terrible signing. How can he plug the holes in the OKC roster so effectively but hang the NHL roster out to dry with Barker and Khabby?

Maybe, just maybe, Katz has told Tambo that he's not buying out his contract? So Tambo has to put the best face on this that he can? Is that even in the realm of possibility, or is it just ineptitude, pure and simple?

Even the coach reflected those sentiments. Madness, pure madness.

Maybe the magic bullet Amnesty clause comes into effect. Seems unlikely though, considering how the GM and coach speak so glowingly of him.

I'd say use it on Horc too, but if I were to guess what the club would do then I'd wager they use it on someone less usefull like Eager or MAYBE Khabibulin.

Either Tambellini and Renney have blinders on or they simply don't want to shake the confidence of a player who they may be stuck with for another season. Unfortunately, I can't tell if they are serious about their assessment of Khabibulin's performance and role on the team or not.

I don't think you have to go all "Brian Burke" on your goaltenders but I don't think it is out of line to publically state that for a veteran, Khabibulin needs to be more consistent, raise his game and give the team a chance to win on a nightly basis and that a .901 save percentage is not going to cut it as a starter.

Privately, I think it would also be fair to tell Khabibulin to come back to training camp in the fall prepared to fight for a backup role, assuming that Dubnyk is ready to start. I would also tell Khabibulin that I would not be offended and would encourage him to look for European options.

In the last three years, Khabibulin has had four more starts than Dubnyk, but Dubnyk has posted seven more wins. When the combined total of wins between them is only 65, that's a statistically significant number.

JW, while a buyout doesn't help the Oilers cap situation (really, are we worried much about the 2012-13 cap?), the question should come down to how much Katz really wants to payout for this guy.

If Tambi can actually come to the realization everyone else seems to have reached, then he needs to accept that Khabi truly can't be on the Oilers NHL roster in 2012-13. And, really, can we all agree that there is not one GM in the league stupid enough to trade for Khabi based on his performance and contract?

If Khabi insists on not playing in the K, or if no one there wants him either, then the Oilers would have to consider the AHL. However, there is the possibility that Khabi might retire if they demote him, sticking the Oil with his full caphit anyhow.

Thus, if there isn't a deal to be done with a KHL team, then Katz and Tambi (if he is even really sticking around) have to decide which situation is better:

1. Pay 3.75 mill to keep that amount off the cap, with a chance they pay zero but take the full caphit.

2. Pay 1.25 mill in 12-13 and again in 13-14 and suck up the 3.75 mill caphit guaranteed in 12-13.

Perhaps Tambi's comments suggest that Khabi communicated that he is okay with playing in the K or the A. But if I were Katz and there is even the slightest suspicion that the guy would cut bait and leave the money on the table, I'd save 1.25 mill, absorb the caphit, and fire whoever's brilliant idea it was to sign the guy (or fire the yes-men that didn't stop us if I were the one who forced the signing...)

OMG, tell me he's not serious.

His cap hit would remain for the 2012-13 season.

The cap hit should only matter financially, though. As a hockey decision, paying him NOT to play is much sounder. Maybe they should offer him more money for next year if he promises to "injure" himself in training camp.

Totally agree JW. He sits there talking about competition and then says Bulin will be back next year. What kind of a message does that send to someone like Danis who has worked is tail off and has been the most impressive goalie in the AHL this season? It doesn't matter how well you play, if your a goalie you wont get a shot in the NHL even though we keep playing a guy that should be retired.

Buying out Khabi is not an option unless its the amnesty clause, buying him out does nothing because his cap hit sticks this year so it serves no purpose, the cap has no issue this year as we aren't a cap team, it sucks having him still but at least after this year he is gone along with the cap hit and the Oilers free up a good chunk of cap.

So again even using the amnesty clause on Khabi is not smart management. In the end the Oilers may have to bite the bullet on Horcoff and use it on him, it would be a tough move for the organization but from a financial and cap standpoint its a no brainer.

What would be ideal if the new CBA comes into the place and then the NHL limits 2nd contracts and then we can buy out Horcoff using the amnesty clause in the summer of next year because his 5.5 cap hit doesn't effect the Oilers this year.

statements like this really make me question the competence (or honesty) of Steve Tambellini. Any person who can analyze a stat sheet could see that Nik Khabibulin is more of the problem in Edmonton than the solution. I see goaltending as the biggest obstacle that needs to be addressed in order for this team to move forward, as they little trouble scoring goals. To go into next season with Nik Khabibulin slotted in to start 30+ games or even to compete for the starting job would be committing postseason suicide before the puck was dropped in early october.

Including a water bottle full of vodka riding shot gun.

some clown who calls himself die hard called me out for being critical of tambo. if this khabibulin endorsement isn't proof of his incompetence, i don't know what is.

Yikes if this is the case you better take Yakapo, we will need to score 5 on most nights. I like Nik but its over man, or close to it. Same with Smyth.. He is my hero, But Ryan , accept a lesser role and cash. Father time is nipping at your heels.. He already caught me lol..

"The decision to stick with Nikolai Khabibulin is indefensible for a team actively trying to win" Quoted for truth . What else needs to be said here ?

The last time the GMs met I believe it was laid out that there will be no amnesty clause for GMs in this next CBA negotiation. Now, that was Bettman saying it so it could change with the weather, but I don't think any GM worth his salt should be planning a roster strategy on a faint-hope like the amnesty clause.

Horcoff may find a new home closer to the end of his contract to a cap-floor team (if that even exists under the next CBA). Who knows, he's probably more moveable than Matt Stajan, though.

As for Khabibulin, somebody on the Nations suggested having him mentor our potential new draft pick for the first year to help him acclimatize to the NHL and Edmonton.

And come trade deadline maybe we can interest Steve Yzerman in another veteran Edmonton goaltender with playoff pedigree. It's worth a try, isn't it?

Brent Sutter get the gas pipe. Eat Monkey Wang Flames!

Since the Oilers really have very few options when it comes to Khabibulin I wouldn't expect the GM to say anything other than he's going to be back. It's possible they could be trying to trade him (long shot I know)so why lower his value further by trashing him in the media?

Now if the Oilers truly believe Khabibulin will battle for the number 1 job next year that's a different story.

This may shock some people but hockey teams don't always tell the media and the fan base the truth.

Additionally I've never really liked it when people say things like, "if it wasn't for a really good stretch of games his numbers would be a lot worse...." or the opposite(removing a bad stretch to make them look better). If you are going to remove a stretch of games from one player for comparison's sake you should do the same for everyone else, otherwise how is the comparison fair?

Of course the numbers are going to be worse if you remove their best stretch and shockingly they are also better if you remove their worst stretch.

/end rant.

You know Brownlee is already implying that Sutter is a front runner for the soon to be vacant spot here in Edmonton

We're back for Mac

We're back for Mac

We're back for Mac

We're back for Mac

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Khabibulin = Hall, RNH and YAK.

well thats just crazy talk. If that was truly the case we will be "Back for Mac". Ugh!

Jonathan, what exactly is Steve Tambellini supposed to say about Khabibulin? That he's washed up? That he plans on moving him?

Who in their right mind would take on his contract? Nobody wants a 39 year-old goaltender for $3.75 MIL.

I get so mad when I read the Tambon's post season presser. I know that we are only really two years into the rebuild and for the most part we are looking good down the road. The Pens and Hawks took 4 to 5 years for their rebuilds. BUT To listen to this guy talk about Khabbi and the Vets. Please someone shoot me. How can this team get even slightly better with out trying to make some changes. Keep Steve Smith and Ralph. Get a new head coach. Get a GM that can make the hard choices and tell the truth to the Fan base.

Season tickets now on sale untill We have a GM that has the balls to do things for the best of the team.

Oh and I hope the Edmonton fans riot if the Oiler brain trust is stupid enough to trade the #1 pick.

Thanks

What the heck is the matter with Tambellini? Doesn't he watch the games? If he wants the Oilers to win, Khabby has to go. Is he that full of pride that he can't admit he made a mistake.

Jeez he makes me mad. At least KLowe had/has the balls to admit when he makes a mistake.